Bayern is a victim of its own success. Why does the competitive environment in Germany need to improve?

Ten league titles in a row. 32 in all. Two treble wins in the last ten years. That and much more is Bayern Munich – the dominant force in German football. But isn’t their success playing against them now?

Even many Bayern fans could probably stand it if someone else won the league. Maybe just for a year, to break the countdown of unbroken dominance. Media and behind the scenes, there are debates about a possible play-off at the end of the season, a play-off that could shuffle the cards.

Winning a tenth title in a row meant an awful lot to Bayern. It’s a nice round number, a milestone that can be reached. It’s a European record. And most importantly, it’s a league title they could celebrate with the fans after two years.

But domestic trophies are starting to change from success to commonplace. Each one means a little bit less than the last. After all, it is Bayern themselves who initiate many of the debates about improving the competitive environment in German football.

Many players feel quite similarly. Sure, going to Bayern will still be the dream of many young football talents growing up in Germany. But that dream is beginning to be matched by ambitions to take down the giant. Players want to be the ones who beat Bayern, who win that title in the colours of Dortmund, Leverkusen or even Leipzig.

And that’s why they often head to those teams rather than Bayern. Nico Schlotterbeck and Karim Adeyemi are prime examples of that. Sure, there are other reasons for both of them to choose Dortmund over Bayern, but both of them were interested in both the black and yellow challengers from Westphalia and the deutscher Meister from Bavaria, and both of them eventually headed to Dortmund.

The very best example of this is Niklas Süle, who is moving to Dortmund after the end of his contract in Munich. And don’t be fooled by their rhetoric, Bayern wanted to keep Süle. But he, on the one hand, didn’t feel appreciated at the club, but also, as he hinted, even openly said, he wants to win trophies with a club they actually mean something to.

The dream of many players to go and play for Bayern Munich has become a dream to go and beat Bayern, and that makes it difficult for the Bavarians to work in the transfer market, among other things, but then their chances in Europe suffer.

However, they are very well aware of this and that’s certainly why they are looking for ways to allow their league rivals to really challenge them and level the playing field a bit in the Bundesliga. Bayern are slowly and surely becoming victims of their own success.

Source: Bundesliga